Electric lamp



Oct. 29, 1929. H. A. DOUGLAS ELECTRIC LAMP Filed Jan. 27, 1926 Patented Oct. 29. 1929 UNITED STATES HARRY A. DOUGLAS, 01 BRONSON, MICHIGAN ELECTRIC LAMP My invention relates to electric lamps and has for its object the provision of an improved construction for readily establishing terminal connections therefor.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a socket for the lamp and a strip metal spring arm anchored at one end to the support for the lamp and having at its unanchored end a contact positioned with relation to the socket 0 be engaged by a contact upon the lamp ase.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the support is in the nature of a housing which also encloses the lamp and which is furnished at its front end with a light transmitting opening that is desirably covered by transparent or translucent glass. The rear wall of the housing carries a circuit terminal which constitutes an anchorage for said strip metal spring arm and is in electrical connection with this spring arm so that the circuit may be continued from said terminal by the spring arm to the lam The socket for the lamp is desirably meta lie and 26 has a slot in its side, the rear end of the slot being open to permit the spring arm to be received, at its unanchored end, within the rear portion of the socket. The spring arm is provided with a body of insulation to keep it out of electrical engagement with the socket.

The invention will be more fully explained in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fi 1 is a front view of a struc- .ture constructe in accordance with the preferred embodiment of the invention and inclusive of a housing adapted to enclose three lamps and furnished with four light transmitting openings, the lamps being adapted for use as automobile signal devices in a. man ner well understood; Fig. 2 is a side view of the structure shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a sectional view online 3-3 of Fig. 2, on a larger scale; Fig. 4. is a vertical sectional view, on

a larger scale; Fig. 5 is a sectional view on Application filed January 27, 1926. Serial No. 84,097.

ets rearwardly project.

line 5-5 of Fig. 6; and Fig. 6 is a sectional view on line 66 of Fig. 5. The support for the lamps illustrated is preferably in the nature of a'housing whose rear wall 1 carries a rearwardly projecting 5o sleeve 2 in which is positioned a plug of insulation 3. This plug of insulation carries three rigid circuit terminals 4, 5 and 6, one for each of the three incandescent lam s 7, 8 and 9, enclosed by said housing. The ront Wall 10 of the housing is formed with three light transmitting openings covered by lenses 12 held in assembly with the housing by means of a cap plate 13. The side wall 14 of the housing is formed with a light transmite ting opening 15 which is closed by an arouate glass closure 16, the opening 15 and the glass closure 16 being located at the -bottom of the housing in order that light may be directed downwardly. A concave reflector 17 5 is provided for each of the incandescent lamps which such reflector encloses. Each reflector has an annular channel 18 at its front end in which the portions of the front end wall 10 which surrounds the openings therein are received, whereby the reflectors are supported at their front ends with the balance thereof surrounded by the housing. A lamp holding socket 19 is suitably assembled with each reflector from which the sock- These sockets are placed abreast and their lamp receiving ends face the front wall of the housing in order that the light may shine through this wall. Each socket is formed with a slot 20. Radiso ating from the circuit terminals 4;, 5 and 6, respectively, are current conveying strip metal spring arms 21. These spring arms extend into I the sockets 19 through the slots 20, the s ring arms being capable of $5 play, at their Free ends, in said slots and in the open rear ends of said sockets. The unanchored ends of the spring arms are prevented from having electrical contact with the sockets by means of plates or bodies of insula- 9o tion 22, carried thereby, which are received"- in the rear open ends of the sockets and which project laterally beyond the spring arms carrying them for the purpose stated. Metal rivets 23 assemble the insulating bodies 22 with the unanchored ends of the arms and have electrical connection with these arms, respectively. The front ends of these rivets serve as contacts to engage the contacts 24. provided upon the rear ends of the lamp bases '25. These lamp bases desirably carry bayonet ins 26 receivable within bayonet slots 27 ormed in the sockets 19 whereby the lamps and socket may be assembled. The spring arms are so set that the contacting portions 23 provided thereon will be located forwardly beyond their places of engagement with the contacts 24 when the lamps are removed from the sockets so that said spring arms are placed under tension when the lamps are assembled with their sockets. The spring arms not only thus have firm electrical con- I 1 ing their forward ends secured to the front wall of the housing and covering openings in said wall, and a lamp holding metallic my name.

HARRY A. DOUGLAS.

nection with the lamps, when'the lamps are p in place, but also serve to seat the bayonet pins in the bayonet slots.

It will be noted that the front wall 10 has rearward extensions 10 which telescope with the rear portion of the housing. Therefore after removing the cap plate 13 the front wall 10 can be Withdrawn from the remainder of the housing carrying with it the reflectors 17 and sockets 19, it being apparent that such disassembling operation will in no way disturb the contact arms 21. The conditions just pointed out are also of great advantage in assembling the device as the elements carried by the front and rear parts of the housing respectivly can be applied while said parts are disassembled, leaving only the telescoping of the housing sections and the application of the plate 13 to complete the assembling operation.

Changes may be made without departing from theinvention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a signal lamp, the combination of a housing having separable front and rear sections, a circuit terminal mounted in the rear wall of said housing, a pair of spring conductorarms in electrical connection with and extending radially from said terminal, a pair of spaced reflectors, said reflectors having their forward ends secured to the front wall of the housing, a lamp holding metallic socket secured to each reflector at the rear end of the latter, each of said sockets having cut away portions opening rearwardly thereof and through which the related conductor arm extends for cooperation with a light bulb.

2. In. a signal lamp, the combination of a housing having separable front and rear sec tions, an electrical current distributing device carried by the rear wall of the housing, a pair of spaced reflectors, said reflectors hav- 

